burnham



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

. A. P. BURNHAM.

DAMPER REGULATING APPARATUS.

No. 538,150. Patented Apr. 23, 1895.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. P. BURNHAM.

DAMPER REGULATING APPARATUS.

No. 538,150. Patent-ed Apr. .23, 1-895.

.rrrrr Wz'inesses UNITED STATES- ALLEN P. BURNHAM, OF SAN FRANCISCO,CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIS G. DODD,

OF SAME PLACE.

DAMPER-REG U LATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 538,150, dated April23, 1 895. Application filed April so, 1394. Seria1No.509,572. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, ALLEN P. BURNHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Damper-RegulatingApparatus; and I hereby declare the following specification and drawingstherewith to be a full description of my improvements.

My invention relates to apparatus whereby the draft of steam furnaces isautomatically controlled by the pressure of steam in the boiler, or byvariations thereof, acting upon the valves controlling a piston thatoperates a damper in the chimney or flue.

My invention consists of a steam or water piston connected to the damperby suitable gearing, and controlled by valves deriving their action ormotion from flexible dia phragms and a spring or springs, so a slightincrease or decrease of boiler pressure at once opens or closes thedamper accordingly.

The objects of my invention are to secure an automatic regulation of thefires, and con-I sequent uniformity of steam pressure without the usualdependence upon a fireman or at, tendant, also to attain a more economicconsumption of, fuel, especially such as requires a measured amount ofair for combustion.

Referring to the drawings: Figure l is an elevation of a common steamfurnace with my improved damper-regulating apparatus applied thereto.Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the actuating apparatusfor moving and controlling the damper and draft of the furnace.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in bothfigures of the drawings.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the steam furnace A, boiler B, chimney C, anddamper D, being of the usual construction and arrangement do not requirefurther description here.

The damper-regulating apparatus, constituting the main part of myinvention, is shown on the left, connected by the pipe E with the boilerB below the water line.

Referring to Fig. 2, the pipe E supplies water under boiler pressure tothe two pipes G and H, the former leading when open to the passage Q,chamber I, and to the piston K in the cylinder J. The pipe H leads tothe- J and piston K, through the passage Q in the A member R, thislatter forming integrally the upper head of the cylinder J, inletpassage Q, outlet passage S, seats and guides for the valves T and U andthe gland V around the rod W, as seen in the drawings.

The member R at the bottom formsasupport for the lower end of thecylinder J, sockets or seats for the plug X, .fiange Y of the springcontaining tube 2, waste valve a, guide and seat for the valve 19, wastepipe 0, housing f and other connected details, the two members R Rconstituting a supporting frame for the several parts, and are connectedby flanges to a Wall plate at to permit convenient erection, as shown inFig. 1. r

1 Referring now to the manner of operating, and supposing the pipes E, Hand G to be filled with Water at the same pressure as the boiler B, andthat the spring N is so adjusted that the diaphragm M is in the positionshown in Fig. 2; the valves T and b will then be closed and the valve Uopened. The weight g, acting on the lever h, chainj and rod W, raisesthe piston K, opening the damper D and increasing the draft in thefurnace.

When piston K rises, the water contained in the cylinder J is forced outthrough the passage Q, passes the valve U, into the passage S, and downthe pipe 70, escaping at the waste pipe 0. The damper D remains openuntil the steam pressure so increases that the pressure in the chamber Land on the diaphragm M exceeds the force of the spring N. Then thediaphragm M, to which is attached the valve 1), sinks, opening thisvalve 1), permitting water to enter beneath the second diaphragm m,raising that, and with it the stem or rod n and the valve U. When thisvalve U is raised and seated, it closes the exhaust passage S, and atthe same time, by reason of the abutting extensions 0 on the inner endsof the two valves U and T, raises the latter, admitting steam or waterfrom the pipe Gthrough the passage Q and chamberI into the cylinder Jand to the piston K, forcing that down, and by the connecting gearingbefore described raises the weight g, turning the lever 72, closing thedamper D. Instead of the weight g, a coil or other spring can beemployed, a weight being preferable because of simplicity.

Vhen the steam pressure falls the diaphragm M rises, because of theforce of the spring N exceeding the steam pressure on top of thediaphragm, the valve 1) is closed, and the water contained beneath thediaphragm m escapes through the adjustable waste cock at, permitting thediaphragm m to sink, opening the valve U and closing the one T, so theweight g again acting as before described, opens the damper D.

The leak-off valve to is open continually, but wastes only aninconsiderable amount of water when the valve bis open and as the cavityor chamber beneath the diaphragm is small but ashort timeis required toempty the chamber beneath this diaphragm m and permit the latter to sinkwhen the valve 1) closes. This valve a is adjusted so as to permit theescape of water and resulting movement of the diaphragm m and of thevalves U and T in some predetermined period of time and as thecircumstances of use may demand.

The diaphragms M and m are provided with springs 11 and q to assist inthe downward or closing movement, and a spring 0" is applied on the rodor stem n for the purpose of forcing downward and opening the valve Uwhen the lower section of the rod descends by means of the diaphragm m.

The rod 72 is in three sections, the upper section made integral withthe valve U, being separable at the sockets, which also answers as ameans of adjustment for length; and the middle section is removable bymeans of the sliding sleeve or coupling it. By loosening the screwsocket s and sliding the coupling downward, the middle and uppersections of this rod n can be removed without disturbing other parts.

To prevent the escape of water or steam from the valve U downward aroundthe stem 11, I provide a packing to, inserted in a channel around thestem in the usual manner.

The waste water escaping from beneath the piston K, the valve a, or fromleaks in any part, is caught by the cup-flange 4), extending around themember R connecting with the waste pipe 0 by means of a space leftaround the bottom of the pipe 70, and a chamber or pocket Z, as shown inthe drawings Fig. 2.

As the actuating pressure in the cylinder J has no relation to theboiler pressure, requiring only force to operate the damper D and theconnecting gearing, the supply in the pipe G instead of being taken fromthe pipe E and the boiler B can be drawn from any source of water underpressure, the operation remaining the same so long as the area andconsequent force of the piston K is in proportion to the pressure andwork performed.

The effective area of the valves '1, U, and b, is made small so as tooffer no considerable resistance in opening or closing, and to produce atardy flow and action which is desirable in apparatus of this kind.

Having thus described the nature and objects of my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a damper regulating apparatus, the combination of a damper, afluid pressure motor connected thereto, inlet and outlet valves for saidmotor, the fluid. passages in which the valves are situated, a flexiblediaphragm which is subjected to steam or water pressure, and isconnected to the stem of said valves, a second flexible diaphragmexposed to the boiler pressure, intermediate valve means be tween thediaphragms so that they may act interdependently, and means forautomatically opening the damper when required, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a damper regulator, the combination of the damper, a fluidpressure motor connected thereto, inlet and outlet valves for saidmotor, the pipes or passages in which the valves are situated, twoflexible diaphragms, one of which is connected with and operatesintermittently to actuate the valves, and the other of which issubjected continually to boiler pressure on onesideand to an adjustablepressure on the other side, so that it may move with the variations ofsteam pressure, an inlet valve between the diaphragms and operated byone of them for the purpose of admitting steam or water to the other,substantially as described.

3. In a damper regulator, the combination of a damper controlling thedraft of a steam furnace, an actuating piston or diaphragm connectedthereto, a cylinder containing the piston, separate outlet and inletvalves therefor, consisting of vertically'aligned abutting pointedplugs, passages in which they are located, a valve stem, a flexiblediaphragm which operates said valve-stem and valves in one direction anda spring or springs arranged to operate in the other direction, and asecond diaphragm exposed constantly to the boiler pressure and carryinga valve device for admitting pressure to the other diaphragm,substantially as described.

4. In a damper regulator, a damper controlling the draft of a steamfurnace, a fluid pressure motor connected to and controlling the damper,inlet and outlet valves for said motor, passages in which the valves arelocated, a flexible diaphragm moved in one direction by steam or waterpressure for operating said valves, said diaphragm being moved in theother direction by the thrust of lIO the valve-stem an adjustable wastevalve or cock to permit the escape of water or steam from beneath theflexible diaphragm when the supply is out off, and means for controllingthe supply of fluid pressure to the said diaphragm, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a damper regulator, the combination of a damper to control thedraft of asteam furnace, a fluid pressure motor connectedthereto, inletand outlet valves for controlling said motor in the manner described,fluid passages con trolled by said valves, a flexible diaphragm which issubjected to steam or water pressure for operating said valves, anadjustable waste valve or cock to permit the escape of water or steamfrom beneath said flexible diaphragm when the supply is cutoff, a secondflexible diaphragm exposed to the boiler pressure and an intermediatevalve between the two diaphragms for permitting the fluid pressure topass from one to the other, substantially as described.

6. In a damper regulator, the combination of a damper to control thedraft of a steam furnace, a fluid pressure motor connected thereto,inlet and outlet valves controlling it in the manner described, passagesin which the valves are situated, two flexible diaphragms superimposedone above the other and communicating through an intermediate passage, avalve in said passage connected to and operated by the lower diaphragm,a valve stem for the aforesaid inlet and outlet valves which isoperatedby the upper diaphragm, and means forsupplying steam or water at boilerpressure to the lower diaphragm, substantially as described.

7. In a damper regulator, the combination of adamper to control thedraft through the furnace, a fluid pressure motor connected thereto,inlet and outlet valves for said motor,

passages in which the valves are situated and which they control, twoflexible diaphragms one of which actuates the valves, and the other ofwhich is exposed continually to boiler pressure on one side, anadjustable spring device for applying pressure to the other side of saiddiaphragm, an inlet valve between the two diaphragms, an escapevalve forthe actuating diaphragm, means for automatically opening the damper, andpassages leading from the boiler to the diaphragm and also to the motor,substantially as described.

8. In a damper regulator, the combination of a damper to control thedraft through the furnace, a cylinder, a piston moving therein andconnected with the damper, a diaphragm to be affected by variations inthe boiler pressure, a valve actuated thereby to admit motive fluid tothe cylinder a second valve also actuated by the diaphragm to releasethe motive fluid from the cylinder, and means for communicating thevariations of boiler pressure to the diaphragm, consisting essentiallyof a second diaphragm and an inlet valve operated thereby, substantiallyas described.

9. The combination of a damper for controlling the draft of a steamfurnace, a fluid pressure motor connected thereto and having inlet andoutlet passages, the inlet and outlet valves controlling said passages,adiaphragm movable in one direction by steam or water pressure andconnected to the stem which operates said valves, said diaphragm beingmoved in the other direction by yielding devices on the stem, a chamberfor said diaphragm having an escape valve, another diaphragm exposedconstantly on one side to boiler pressure, a passage leading theretofrom the boiler, a yielding mechanical device on the otherside of saiddiaphragm and a springprovided valve carried thereby and situated in apassage between said diaphragm and the other diaphragm, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signaturein the presenceof two witnesses.

ALLEN P. BURNHAM.

Witnesses:

ALFRED A. ENQUIST, J AS. 0. H. FERGUSON.

